Healthcare Shortage of staffing

Healthcare Worker Shortage and Delegation in Healthcare Facilities

Healthcare is one of the sectors of the economy with a global shortage of workers. Despite the fact that the number of patients in need of competent medical care has been increasing in most regions of the world, the number of nurses has been stagnant for more than a century. One of the barriers to the health sector's success in reaching its aims and goals is a shortage of healthcare workers (Healey, 2017).

Impact on New Nurses

According to research, new nurses have been victims of burnouts and other nurse-related obstructions, affecting the quality of care provided to patients in the majority of hospitals and health institutions (Lloyd, 2017). As a result, new nurses become overwhelmed by the bulk of tasks they perform during the first year of occupation. However, with these complications on rising accompanied with variables that are unvarying such as stress, workload among others have seen most hospitals adopting delegation approach to give patients quality care and health (Ironside, 2015).

The Delegation Process in Healthcare Facilities

Delegation is the process whereby specialists let a particular task completed by another person or employee who qualifies. The creation of a conducive atmosphere in a health facility is the sure way to creating a successful delegation process in a bid to provide a smooth transition of duties among the shifting nurses. Consequently, this paper will focus on the change-of-shift report and suggest how delegating of tasks can remain successful in healthcare facilities. Additionally, outline how lack of sufficient information during shifts can substantially affect the delegation process among doctors and nurses on work.

Improving Healthcare through Delegation among Nurses

The purpose of the paper is to outline the procedures and tasks that can make a delegation of tasks among nurses who are shifting can considerably save lives and improve the quality of health. With the issue of shortage of nurses, some hospitals have possibly depended on unlicensed assistive personnel to support them in caring for patients (Li et al., 2017). Nonetheless, the nurse or doctor remains responsible for their clients. Besides, when delegating a task to any UAPs, there are some few guidelines that the doctor must understand to ensure that no complications arise in the process of providing care. One of the major issues is to understand the state law about the scope of your practice, policies, and procedures concerning nursing practice, as well as to know your UAPs individually to understand their capabilities and limits. Besides, having adequate information about the condition of the patient will help the nurses assign duties to their UAPs with much ease and eliminate any chances of errors as well as deaths occurring.

Critical Patients and Delegation

In this case study, given the condition of these patients is not so critical as a result they do not need much attention from an expert, and they can be assigned to UAPs. These patients include Mr. B, K, Ms. L, and Q. I can have these clients assigned to a UAP since most of them only have difficulties in doing simple tasks such as getting out of bed, keeping them aware about their ADLs among other activities. However, some patients who are in critical condition may not be handled efficiently by unlicensed assistive personnel, and therefore, they need constant care and watching by a licensed professional (Twomey, 2013). From the report provided during change-of-shift, Mr. W is in a critical state. Shortness of breath accompanies his condition; as a result, he is getting oxygen at a rate of 2 liters per minute with the help of a nasal cannula. Since he needs constant watching and monitoring of his progress during the night to help him regain his healthy state, I will see him first.

Role of Licensed Practical Nurses and Licensed Vocational Nurses

Apart from having the UAPs in the healthcare facilities, there are also licensed practical nurses as well as licensed vocational nurses to delegate duties and help improve the quality of care provided in hospitals. Even though they have different names, both LVNs and LPNs perform the same functions and work under the supervision of the doctor or licensed nurse. Consequently, the most appropriate aspect of client care to assign to the LVN is helping Mr. B to ambulate from one end of the wall and back. These individuals can prescribe medications and give injections as well taking significant health warning signs of the patients in the hospital. When Mr. W still reports on shortness of breath during an assessment, I will first check on the oxygen saturation to ensure the patient does not develop prolonged breathing complication. When a patient’s arterial oxygen saturation goes up the first action is to notify the health caregiver about the condition. Consequently, assist Mr. W in recovering his health and breathing condition.

Conclusion

In summary, the delegation of duties has improved the working with or via others in a bid to provide quality health care. New nurses have become overwhelmed by the bulk of tasks they perform during the first year of occupation. Nevertheless, with these complications coming up complemented with variables that are unchangeable such as stress, workload among others factors have seen most hospitals espousing delegation strategy to give patients quality care and health. Apart from having the UAPs in the healthcare facilities, there are also licensed practical nurses as well as licensed vocational nurses to consign duties and help improve the quality of care in hospitals.

References

Healey, L. (2017). Schools, Hospitals Work to Overcome Nursing Shortages with Financial, Educational Incentives. INSIGHT into Diversity, 88(4), 42-45.

Ironside, P. M. (2015). Narrative Pedagogy: Transforming Nursing Education Through 15 Years of Research in Nursing Education. Nursing Education Perspectives (National League for Nursing), 36(2), 83-88.

Li, S., Pittman, P., Han, X., & Lowe, T. J. (2017). Nurse-Related Clinical Nonlicensed Personnel in U.S. Hospitals and Their Relationship with Nurse Staffing Levels. Health Services Research, 52422.

Lloyd, J. (2017). Innovative Information Technology Solutions: Addressing Current and Emerging Nurse Shortages and Staffing Challenges Worldwide. Nursing Economic$, 35(4), 211-212.

Twomey, D. P. (2013). Licensed practical nurses: protected 'employees' or statutory 'supervisors' under the NLRA? The impact of the 11th Circuit's Lakeland Health Care decision. Labor Law Journal, (2). 57.